Weather Forecast

Northwest Minn. man accused of sexual assault at high school house party

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn.—Thief River Falls Public Schools is looking into a December high school house party linked to sexual assault charges.

Logan Gary Lane, 19, of Thief River Falls, was charged Jan. 18 in Pennington County District Court with two felony charges of criminal sexual assault—one third-degree and the other fifth-degree. An initial hearing has been set for March 3.

The charges were brought against Lane after the accuser said she was told Lane had sex with her while she was "very intoxicated," according to court documents. The accuser had attended a house party Dec. 27 in the northwest Minnesota city where she said Lane committed the act without her consent, but she didn't remember the incident, court documents said.

The party was meant for people who graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, the accuser said.

Lane told the accuser via SnapChat message that he made a mistake and that it had been a mistake but it didn't "need to be blown out of proportion," court documents said.

Lane told investigators the accuser crawled into a bed with him, started kissing him and said she wanted to have sex with him, even after Lane told her he was not the person she thought he was, according to court documents.

The accuser admitted to giving sexual consent to another person.

Lane faces up to 16 years in prison.

Thief River Falls Schools Superintendent Bradley Bergstrom said Monday the district is investigating the incident but declined to speak further on the matter. Thief River Falls Police Chief Dick Wittenberg said he could not comment on the case since it was active.

April Baumgarten joined the Grand Forks Herald May 19, 2015, and covers business and political stories. She grew up on a ranch 10 miles southeast of Belfield, where her family continues to raise registered Hereford cattle. She double majored in communications and history/political science at Jamestown (N.D.) College, now known as University of Jamestown. During her time at the college, she worked as a reporter and editor-in-chief for the university's newspaper, The Collegian. Baumgarten previously worked for The Dickinson Press as the Dickinson city government and energy reporter in 2011 before becoming the editor of the Hazen Star and Center Republican. She then returned to The Press as a news editor, where she helped lead an award-winning newsroom in recording the historical oil boom.